Feasibility of Producing Clad Twin Roll Cast (TRC) AZ31

Abstract

The need for lighter weight vehicles to improve fuel efficiency is becoming increasingly imperative. Sheet magnesium alloys offer the potential as a light weight material for use in the transportation industry due to their high specific strength and stiffness. In fact, magnesium alloys have the highest strength-to-weight ratio of all the common structural metals. Though the demand for light weight materials is present and sheet magnesium is available, the use of these materials in automotive applications has been rather limited due to high production costs and poor corrosion performance and formability. A promising process to produce wrought magnesium sheet in a more cost effective manner is Twin Roll Casting (TRC). In addition, enhanced corrosion resistance and ductility may be realized in these sheet alloys with the possible introduction of a clad layer during the TRC process thereby producing a laminate sheet where the surface properties are different from the core. The focus of this research was to investigate the potential of cladding magnesium alloy AZ31 material during the TRC process. As part of this research, a thermal fluid mathematical model of the TRC process was developed, which was then further refined to include the addition of a clad layer during the process. The TRC model was validated through experimental work conducted at the Pohang Institute of Science and Technology (POSTECH University), where TRC experiments of AZ31 were conducted under various casting conditions. The as-cast microstructure of the AZ31 sheets were characterized and measurements of the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) made at the mid-region were compared to predicted microstructures from the TRC model based on solidification history. The predicted SDAS matched with the measured values, thus, validating the model. Using the validated TRC model the feasibility of adding a clad layer was assessed and various simulations were conducted to observe the effects of cast speed, cast thickness, and clad material on the thermal history and temperature profile in both the clad and core domains. The material properties and clad thickness did not seem to impact the temperature profiles significantly, while the cast speed and initial temperature dictated whether or not the cast would be successful. Using these operational parameters a process window was created (based on the CANMET facility) to illustrate the feasibility of casting and cladding during TRC. This window is beneficial for future experimentation and understanding the effects of these casting parameters.